Surgeons utilize various surgical instruments for inter-abdominal, inter-thoracic and other similar surgical procedures. Typically, surgeons desire to perform these procedures using minimally invasive surgical techniques. In an endoscopic procedure, for example, a small incision is made in a patient and an endoscope is inserted therein in order to view the body cavity in which the surgeon intends to perform the surgery. These types of surgical procedures typically require the use of an endoscope which enables the surgeon to obtain a view of the body cavity and the manipulation of a surgical device used during the surgery. Many times, the surgeon inserts both the endoscope and the surgical device either through the same incision or may use separate incisions for each device. In most surgical procedures using an endoscope, a member of the surgical team may continuously monitor the positioning of the endoscope in order maintain a suitable view of the body cavity and the manipulation of the surgical device.
In addition to the use of an endoscope, some surgical devices include an arrangement to indicate the position of the components while in use. A remote status indicator may provide this information to the user via a LCD indicator which is coupled to an electromagnetic sensor. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical instrument may include an anvil portion and a staple, blade and reservoir (SBR) portion. The surgical instrument detachably couples to an electro-mechanical driver device via a shaft. The surgeon advances the shaft and the SBR portion of the attachment into the body cavity. The base of the anvil portion and the outer edge of the SBR housing may include an electromagnetic sensor which is coupled to the LCD indicator of the handle, thereby permitting the surgeon to know the position of the anvil and the SBR during the surgical procedure.
Although the use of the LCD indicator, as described above, provides the surgeon with some information regarding the position of the surgical instruments, such an LCD indicator may be used in conjunction with an endoscope. By using the endoscope and additionally the LCD indicator, the surgeon may receive visual images of the body cavity (via the endoscope) and an indication of the position of the surgical instrument during the surgery (via the LCD indicator). It would be advantageous to provide an imaging device that couples to a surgical instrument itself. Such an imaging device may provide a surgeon with both images of the body cavity and the manipulation of the surgical instrument during the procedure. It would also be advantageous to provide an imaging device which is reusable on various surgical instruments that are adapted to receive it.